Mental health disorders among Thai farmers: occupational and non-occupational stressors
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Issued Date
2024-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
10807039
eISSN
15497860
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85186400958
Journal Title
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (2024)
Suggested Citation
Noomnual S., Konthonbut P., Kongtip P., Woskie S.R. Mental health disorders among Thai farmers: occupational and non-occupational stressors. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment (2024). doi:10.1080/10807039.2024.2310810 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/97550
Title
Mental health disorders among Thai farmers: occupational and non-occupational stressors
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Author's Affiliation
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Abstract
This cross-sectional study aimed to identify occupational and non-occupational factors that impact levels of stress, depression, and anxiety among farmers located in the northern part of Thailand, including the potential psychological impacts of pesticide use. The participants (N = 270) were interviewed with a survey adopted and modified from peer-reviewed articles and questionnaires. The survey consists of four parts, including demographic information and pesticide exposure; perceived farm stressors employing Farm Stressor Survey (FSS); mental health disorder utilizing Srithanya Stress Scale (ST5), Nine-Questions Depression- Rating Scale (9Q), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS21); in addition to COVID-related stress utilizing COVID Stress Scale (CSS). The participants were categorized into two groups i.e., Spray and No Spray based on their self-reported occupational use of pesticide spraying within the past year. No significant associations were observed between occupational pesticide exposures and mental health disorder scores. Being female, having a second job besides a farmer, having applied pesticides for greater than 20 years, and having a higher farm stressor perception showed a significant positive association with self-reported mental health disorders; while having a good agricultural practice and PPE use showed a significant negative association with those outcomes. This pilot study scrutinized expanded sources of stress in farm work and provided information for the development of more effective mental disorder intervention programs for Thai farmers.